Live The Dream In Vancouver, Canada

December 16, 2008

Davina Haisell moved to from Ontario, to Vancouver in British Columbia, to live the dream. After a few years, she launched a specialist diet consultancy business. Then she realised that she was far more interested in helping people improve their lives, as opposed to focusing on diet.

So Davina trained to become a professional life coach and now she’s living the dream in Vancouver and running Crimson Compass, her life coaching business, from home.

Cath: How long have you been living the dream in Vancouver and what made you move there?

Davina: I’ve lived in Vancouver for 8.5 years. I took a holiday here and after the first day I knew I wanted to live here. The mountains, the fresh air, the ocean being practically at your doorstep, and the warmer temperatures certainly helped me decide.

Cath: Once you decided you wanted to live in Vancouver, you went through an interesting process to achieve your goal. Can you describe it?

Davina: I knew in my heart, after visiting Vancouver that this was where I wanted to live. It “felt” right somehow. I journalled every day, using the Morning Pages from Julia Cameron’s - The Artists Way. I wrote about the people I would meet, how I would feel living there and the job I would have.

Basically I wrote my dream down and it manifested within 9 months. I was supported in many ways, through interesting “coincidences”. It was an amazing experience and one I reflect on with gratitude.

Cath: How long does it take to drive back to where you used to live?

Davina: A person can drive from Vancouver to Toronto in 3 days, but a more comfortable trip would take 5 days.

Live The Dream In Vancouver - Slideshow

Cath: What are some of your favourite things to do in the Vancouver area?

Davina: I like visiting the art shops on Granville Island and walking around the Stanley Park Seawall. When I worked downtown I liked to take a walk through Stanley Park on my lunch hour. I also enjoy just sitting outside having a coffee at a café, admiring the view. There is no shortage of restaurants to try out either.

Quite often during the summer I will take a short 20-minute ferry ride over to Bowen Island and go hiking. Every summer in Vancouver a Shakespeare Festival called Bard On The Beach runs from May until September. The stage and tents are set up near the beach. It is a real treat to take in a live show.

Cath: What’s your least favourite thing about living in Vancouver?

Davina: I’d have to say the weather in November and December. The daylight hours are short and dull, and that is when we get the most rainfall.

Cath: Housing costs in Vancouver seem high. Are there more reasonable places to live in the surrounding areas and which ones are the nicest?

Davina: Costs do seem to be higher. I don’t notice too much of a difference because I rent and those costs seem comparable to Toronto.

As far as I know, housing may be a bit more reasonable in places like Port Moody, Chilliwack, Port Coquitlam, Mission and Mapleridge, but you’re looking at about an hour’s drive to downtown Vancouver.

Other options would be places such as Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon and Penticton; known as the Okanagan. These cities are about 4-5 hours drive from Vancouver and their climate is much different. The summers are hotter and drier and the winters are colder with snow, rather than rain.

Housing can be more affordable on some of the Gulf Islands such as Pender and Saturna, but again you would have to depend on the ferries to get to the mainland. You can find out more about the Gulf Islands at Gulf Islands Guide.

Cath: What is it like running a business in Vancouver? Do you get most of your clients online, or do you also get folk who live nearby?

Davina: It’s difficult for me to answer that because I’m just starting out. It depends on the business and the marketing efforts, but I honestly believe both methods could work equally well. I know someone who opened up a specialty rain gear store and she has been successful :).

Cath: Have you been to Vancouver Island? Is it nice? Is that a good place to live, or are some parts of it too far from the mainland?

Davina: I’ve been to Vancouver Island a few times. It is nice to visit but not my favourite spot. Most people like it though. It takes about 90 minutes on the ferry to reach the Island, and depending on where you live in Vancouver it can take up to 4 hours when you factor in the commute to the ferry terminal and from the ferry terminal to your destination on the Island.

Victoria draws more retired folk and the rest of the Island, from my understanding has a pretty slow pace of life. The cities are spaced farther apart and there seems to be less to do than on the mainland. It is a beautiful spot though, especially the west coast near Tofino. You can learn more at Tourism BC.

Cath: Is the public transport system good? Do they have cycle paths, or do most people drive?

Davina: I think the transit system is good, but then again, I hear a lot of complaints too. It is less convenient to take transit in North Vancouver as the buses run less frequently.

Most people drive. There are a lot of cycle paths; I live on one of them. A lot of people do cycle and walk to work. When I worked downtown I could walk to work in 45 minutes.

Cath: What advice would you give people who want to live the dream in Vancouver?

Davina: As was the case with myself, most people that come to visit end up moving here. A large percentage of Vancouverites are “implants” from Ontario.

I would recommend a person come and stay for a period to see what it’s like and to explore the surrounding areas. I have friend from Alabama who comes to stay every summer from July to October. She finds places to stay by searching online. A lot of folk leave the city for business or personal reasons and look for renters, so a person can find a nice place to stay for a couple of months if they are inclined.

Cath: As a life coach, what steps would you recommend folk to take, in deciding where they would like to live?

Davina: What I would suggest if a person were trying make a decision about where to live, is to focus on what location inspires them the most. Where are they drawn to be. That is their intuition guiding them.

What is their dream and why? It should inspire them from the heart in order to have it manifest.

Knowing why a person wants something is key because it carries more weight than knowing what they want.

They should ask very clear questions of themselves: Why do they want to move? Are they escaping or moving forward? If they are escaping their problems will just follow…

She specializes in coaching writers and artists exploring new avenues of inspiration; entrepreneurs with intent to clarify their business vision; those curious to explore and deepen the connection with their spiritual side and retirees who are expanding their lives in new directions.

Comments

Good interview with Davina. We’ve “talked” a little bit in comments about Vancouver.

The one downside about Vancouver, for me, is that it is a city. On the other hand, it is a very unique city — thinking about it now, I can hear the roar of the engine of a float-plane as it takes off from the harbor, heading to some place in the interior or up the coast.

If I were going to live in a city, Vancouver would be high on my list.

Hi Cath. You’ve done an excellent job choosing these photographs. That last one isn’t too far off the mark, as we’ve just had a huge snowfall over the weekend. You know it’s funny because when my friend from Alabama comes here to stay for the summer, she ends up showing me Vancouver It’s kind of sad how wrapped up a person can get in their life to miss exploring the place where they live.

@ Mike, You’d enjoy The Sunshine Coast just north of Vancouver. Less city up there…. a photographer’s paradise *smile*. I’m reminded of the television show the Beachcomers. It was shot in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. I’ve visited the actual Molly’s Reach restaurant that was used for filming; neat, since I grew up watching that show.

I’ve never been to Vancouver. However, I was to the Seattle area this past summer - and really just loved the proximity to both the ocean and to the mountains. The west coast of North America is quite a place! It’s fun to hear about where people live, and what it is that makes their place special - thanks for doing this, you two!

Loved this post, Cath. Vancouver looks gorgeous; now i know why a couple of my friends ended up living there for a few years. I haven’t been to Canada yet, but it;s high in my list. Also enjoyed hearing more about Davina and how she came to Vancouver. I agree that some places just have some kind of cosmic pull on you as soon as you get there. It’s more than being in holiday mode (if that’s how you find it), you just feel like you belong there.

Is Vancouver high on your list of places to emigrate to, Cath?

Looking forward to the next post in this series, it;s a fabulous idea. Very inspiring.

Hi Mike - I must admit, I’m not used to living in a big city either. But Vancouver is unique being by the water and surrounded by mountains.

Hi Davina - Thank you - you gave some great answers to the questions too. It’s a shame when we get too busy to notice what’s going on around us. Your friend is lucky to have so much spare time that she can stay so long during the summer.

Hi Lance - you’re welcome. Vancouver looks awesome doesn’t it.

Hi Kelly - thanks. I’m enjoying this series too. If I had the time, I would have set up a new website just for these interviews.

Vancouver is high on my list. I like the location and the fact that it has a milder climate than other parts of Canada. Australia is still on my list too - I just wish the flights home weren’t so expensive. But, at the moment, we may have more chance of moving to the states, which would be great too.

Hi Cath and Davina - How fascinating that your journal exercise manifested in your dream, Davina! I’m inspired to do one of my own!

Vancouver seems like such a lovely city. Three of my favorite colleagues in our franchise system work from there, and I always enjoy seeing them on company junkets. We were set to take an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver, but that has been cancelled.

I know I’ll get there someday, perhaps on our way to live in Alaska. Thanks, Cath, for choosing Davina. It’s fun to get to know her better.

What an enlightening interview! Until I started blogging, I had no idea what a “Life Coach” was. After having “met” a few, I see that so many coaches have different approaches and methods.

Can you explain what, exactly, a life coach is? Do you have to train to be one? Is there a certification process involved? Is life coaching akin to psychotherapy, where the coach helps identify stumbling blocks so that a client can help to reach - or develop - specific goals? I’m very curious

Rita on
December 16th, 2008 5:07 pm

oops…

about the process as to how one becomes a life coach.

Davina, I have no doubt that you will succeed, and Vancouver is a beautiful city. I wish you much luck in your chosen profession.

Cath, this was a terrific interview. You certainly did your research well!

I, too, love Davina’s story of how she used journaling to manifest her dream. Although I’ve been to Vancouver it’s been quite a few years. It is a beautiful city and I can certainly understand why Davina loves living there. It sounds like there are tons of things to do and see.

I’m guessing Davina will do fabulous with her life coaching business. She not only has a good size population to draw from in Vancouver, but with the internet, she can help people world wide.

The first time we were in Vancouver was in 1995. We were there for 11 days, the first 4 without a rental car. It was really great.

The next time was 2002. We went from Canadian customs at the airport straight to a bus, then through the city to a cruise ship terminal — not Canada Place — where we went through US customs. I guess it was because all of our stops were going to be in the US.

I really didn’t recognize anything on the bus ride from the airport to the terminal. However, once on the ship, it was pretty neat seeing the city as the ship left, passing Stanley Park and going under the Lion’s Gate Bridge. (I’ve got some pictures somewhere.)

Hi Rita. Good question. Yes there is training to become a life coach. I trained with The Coaches Training Institute and am a member of the International Coaches Federation.

Life coaching is different than psychotherapy. A person would go to psychotherapy to heal past trauma or emotional issues. You are correct about clients setting goals in life coaching.

The stumbling block is usually on account of the inner critic that doesn’t like change to happen. It’s difficult to see that in your life because you are so close to it. A coach can be more objective.

A coaching session is similar to a brainstorming session and encourages the client to step past their comfort zone and not be afraid to make mistakes.

The real development happens between the sessions while the client gets on with their life and their goals. Through this process a life coach holds their client accountable to their goals when they hit those stumbling blocks.

Thanks. That was an excellent response that clarified so much for me! The fact that the life coach “holds their client accountable to their goals…” is too often different from psychotherapy. I believe that many psychotherapists lack that very skill…and keep people coming back at a large cost…because there is little accountability on the patient’s/client’s part until (or if) they make those breakthroughs on their own.

You are a compassionate - yet direct - person, and I have no doubt that you will succeed. Best of luck to you!

Thanks Rita - Vancouver sounds great. Like you - I had no idea what a life coach was until recently. It seems like a good idea though - they seem to guide you towards the positive. Some psychotherapists are hell bent on dragging over the negative stuff.

I had one guy try to get me to tape myself talking about “my experience” and play it back to myself over and over. Talk about Japanese torture.

And I hear what you’re saying about accountability. Like you say - some of them would rather drag things out to make more money.

Hi Barbara - thanks. I really want to see Vancouver.

As you say, folk with businesses like Davina’s are no longer limited to their own geography. The Internet has made it possible for us to reach far more people.

Hi Mike - That’s good that you like Vancouver too - as I know you like the natural countryside same as me. It sounds like you went on the Alaska cruise then. How was it? Which cruiseline did you go with?

I guess Mike is used to smaller places. Where I live it is kind of quiet. I’ve lived in small towns before and I found it too noisy. I love the look of Vancouver but I don’t know how I’d cope with the busyness of a city.

Maybe there would be places on the outskirts that would be quieter? We barely have any street lights here. There was one sort of opposite the house but I think some kind person must have popped it with a stone - I hated the light from it at night.

Cath and Davina this was a terrifc post to read today. I have had over the years lots of family who lived in the Vancouver area and my Mother drilled into my head that Canadians were superior people in so many ways! My cousin says when I travel I should tell them I am Canadian instead of US…because of the Bush factor! ( my brother and sister have duel citizenship) not me! He also said they will know it is true that I am Canadian if I apologize all the time and carry a bit cheese?…He now lives in Australia maybe because of the big cheese?
My oldest daughter went to the Vancouver Film School for 15 months and got certified as an Animator and loved her loft apartment and life in the city…now she is in SF, CA

Davina it was nice to hear more of your story and read about another person who journals and then finds their success. I am sure you will do well - even if you did not see my cousin out on the streets celebrating her birthday…

I love to visit Vancouver - we seem to get trapped by family on most visits, but do explore.

Betsy - try Cruise West out of Seattle to Alaska - go right to Vancouver and Vancouver Island - smaller ships with about 80 passengers and hikes and environmentalist educators - one of my kids was a waitress/ room cleaner on board…They are smaller so don’t have such a hard time filling ships and they go into all the nooks and crannies!

Wow Cath and Davina this just brought up so many things for me to ramble on about…I loved the videos too..Wow a great post

Wow - what a treat, Cath! One of my favourite bloggers being interviewed! (by another one)

Since I started blogging I have been curious about the places where other bloggers live. I’ve had the map of North America out, puzzling over strangely named states and cities. British Columbia has come up quite a lot - especially in my early blogging days - so it is great to see those beautiful photos.

It;’s interesting the way Davina felt inspired to live in Vancouver, made the move, and then found things fell into place. That does seem to be the way to do it!